In an extraordinary medical endeavor to give two conjoined twins a chance at a normal life, 30 doctors from India and various countries have embarked on the remarkable journey of successfully separating the twins, joined at the tops of their heads. Despite the surgery’s success, there is still a considerable period of monitoring ahead to ensure their well-being.
These twins, two-year-old boys originally named Honey and Singh, were joined at the head since birth, facing an 80% risk of mortality if left unseparated.
In March 2015, their mother, Pushpanjali Kanhar, was stunned to see her newly born children fused together at the beginning, a situation she had not anticipated during her pregnancy. No hospital could initially offer a solution, and the family had no choice but to bring the twins home, despite the Orissa state government’s promises to provide assistance.
The first stage of the surgery took place on August 28 this year, when doctors established bridging blood vessels from the common vessels carrying blood from the heart to the brain for the two babies. Dr. Swapneshwar Gadayak, who was part of the surgical team, explained, “These twins are called craniopagus twins because they have two separate brains but are joined at the head. Many such cases have been successfully separated, but if they share the same brain, it is very difficult to separate.”
The twins’ father, Mr. Bhuan Kanhar, a farmer earning only 1,600 rupees (about 700,000 VND) per month, had exhausted every avenue in search of medical care for his children, but financial constraints left him feeling helpless. He said, “The family was so poor; I lost all hope and was forced to watch them suffer like that for two years.”
For two years, the twins’ family explored every available option for their children’s treatment, but their limited financial resources left them feeling helpless. The family’s hope was to see all four of their children living and playing together.
On October 26, this dream began to materialize as 30 doctors in a Delhi hospital spent 16 hours meticulously separating the heads of Jaga and Kalia, marking India’s first such surgical procedure. During the operation, it was revealed that the twins shared brain tissue and blood vessels, an exceedingly rare condition occurring in about 1 in 3 million births.
The twins’ journey ahead remains challenging. Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, stated, “The next 18 days will determine the success of the surgery.” Dr. A K Mahapatra, who was part of the surgical team, added, “Both babies had other health problems. While Jaga has a heart disease, Kalia has kidney disease. Initially, Jaga was stronger, but now he is getting weaker, and Kalia is getting better.”
Following the separation, the most significant challenge for the twins is the need for sufficient skin to cover both of their heads, as the surgical procedure left significant gaps in their skulls. Maneesh Singhal, a plastic surgery expert, explained, “If they can do it themselves, the next step is to reconstruct their skulls.”
The twins’ journey is far from over, and their family, doctors, and well-wishers remain hopeful for their future.
